Where to start

[poorbong]

Looking to start building my 1999 Limited 4Runnner, wondering where to start. I will be doing mild off-roading few times a year, campings and possibly road trips.

I'm looking at for some new shocks, bumpers and sliders at the moment...what are you recommendations?
Thanks in advance.

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[RotaryDreamz]

If you just purchased the vehicle, I would start with the major maintenance first. LBJ's. Timing Belt if its time. If you're doing the work yourself when you have everything apart, change out all your bushings. Plan your suspension setup on what you're going to really use your rig for. If you get full armor, make sure your suspension will compensate for the extra weight.

I went with Tundra Bilstein 5100's with OME coils. Savage front winch bumper with savage full skids. Addicted offroad rear bumper and Shrockworks sliders.

I didnt start upgrading the rig until I made sure I did all necessary maintenance first. Take your time. Good luck.

Sean

 

[gamefreakgc]

Definitely maintenance. Bushings make a huge difference with body roll and steering stability like mentioned above and are relatively cheap. Start with sway bar and end link bushings and go from there if you want, they get harder after those.

Make sure your fluids are clean and up to snuff including differential oil.

After that supercharger it :zoom:

 

[Brian.]

3rd vote for maintenance. If the rig doesn't stop (most important), steer (2nd most important) or go (least important) then all it can do is sit there and look good. So make 100% sure the maintenance is done, else when you have to do an emergency stop and a original brake line blows and you plow into Whatever, it won't matter that you've got the "sickest" rims ever seen. You can have some serious pucker moments when the rear drums are soaked in gear oil too...

So, check the brakes (pads, disks, drums, lines, fluid), and if you have ABS pull those sensors on the rear to check for fluid.

If brakes and tires are up to snuff, then the 2 BIG items are the lower ball joints (if you don't know for certain they have been replaced within the last 100k miles, they are due ~ the wheel falls off when they fail) and the radiator/transmission cooler is known to leak causing "pink milkshake" which will kill the transmission. Both are so well known you should just plan on addressing them right away (about $300 in parts).

Past that, my own '99 was transformed in a major way by replacing all the bushings. That's 16 between the control arms, 3 on the steering rack, 12 on the sway-bars.... thankfully my body bushings seem fine. I highly recommend doing this as 20 year old bushings are bound to be trash just due to age.

Then get the engine sorted with timing belt, water pump, plugs, wires, filters, etc... I have to do a valve cover gasket too as mine's leaking oil, like they all seem to do sooner or later.

Finally, get the fluids changed out.

THEN start thinking about your "sick modz", starting with shocks/springs.... the bumpers, sliders, winch, etc... are all worthless until the rig is ready to be used.

You may find that you need other things like CV boots, or a steering rack, in the process of Baselining the truck. I know, it's Boring stuff... no one sees any of it. But if you front-load the maintenance like this you'll never have to do a Ton of it all at once again, AND the vehicle will be RELIABLE from the start. Nevermind that it'll be safer and ride nicer. I try to mix in some "fun" stuff just to keep my motivation up... so I put in a different radio along the way, tinted the windows and have plans for different seats soon.

But that's just, like, my opinion... man.

 

[apohl17]

3rd vote for maintenance. If the rig doesn't stop (most important), steer (2nd most important) or go (least important) then all it can do is sit there and look good. So make 100% sure the maintenance is done, else when you have to do an emergency stop and a original brake line blows and you plow into Whatever, it won't matter that you've got the "sickest" rims ever seen. You can have some serious pucker moments when the rear drums are soaked in gear oil too...

So, check the brakes (pads, disks, drums, lines, fluid), and if you have ABS pull those sensors on the rear to check for fluid.

If brakes and tires are up to snuff, then the 2 BIG items are the lower ball joints (if you don't know for certain they have been replaced within the last 100k miles, they are due ~ the wheel falls off when they fail) and the radiator/transmission cooler is known to leak causing "pink milkshake" which will kill the transmission. Both are so well known you should just plan on addressing them right away (about $300 in parts).

Past that, my own '99 was transformed in a major way by replacing all the bushings. That's 16 between the control arms, 3 on the steering rack, 12 on the sway-bars.... thankfully my body bushings seem fine. I highly recommend doing this as 20 year old bushings are bound to be trash just due to age.

Then get the engine sorted with timing belt, water pump, plugs, wires, filters, etc... I have to do a valve cover gasket too as mine's leaking oil, like they all seem to do sooner or later.

Finally, get the fluids changed out.

THEN start thinking about your "sick modz", starting with shocks/springs.... the bumpers, sliders, winch, etc... are all worthless until the rig is ready to be used.

You may find that you need other things like CV boots, or a steering rack, in the process of Baselining the truck. I know, it's Boring stuff... no one sees any of it. But if you front-load the maintenance like this you'll never have to do a Ton of it all at once again, AND the vehicle will be RELIABLE from the start. Nevermind that it'll be safer and ride nicer. I try to mix in some "fun" stuff just to keep my motivation up... so I put in a different radio along the way, tinted the windows and have plans for different seats soon.

But that's just, like, my opinion... man.

^^^ THIS ^^^

I was getting ready to type a lengthy reply, but [MENTION=315156]Brian.[/MENTION] did it for me :cheers:

 

[2TH4IST]

Maintenance first always. If they need service changed the following in no particular order:
Oil and filter change (even if it was just done)
Timing belt/water pump/t-stat/tensioner and idlers
Radiator and cap
All coolant hoses!
All fluids (brake flush, coolant, ps fluid, front/read diffs, transfer case, transmission)
Lower ball joints
Inner and outer tie rod ends
Bushings (all)
Any burnt out bulbs
Alignment
External trans cooler for auto
And anything else I missed.

Then you know you have a 100% reliable 4runner, then you can start modding. I have just recently finished most of the above (minus trans oil, ps fluid, rear and sway bushings due to future mods). It's a ton of work and took me several weekends of working on it myself. That list would be different if I had to pay someone to do the work. But since I'm a auto tech I do everything on my free time.

This is just my .02 cents worth of a opinion, but this is what I do to every used car I buy.

 

[beklemmung]

What would the differences be if you had to pay someone to do the work? That's the situation I'm in – need to do a lot of preventative maintenance but don't have the tools or space to do the work myself.

Maintenance first always. If they need service changed the following in no particular order:
Oil and filter change (even if it was just done)
Timing belt/water pump/t-stat/tensioner and idlers
Radiator and cap
All coolant hoses!
All fluids (brake flush, coolant, ps fluid, front/read diffs, transfer case, transmission)
Lower ball joints
Inner and outer tie rod ends
Bushings (all)
Any burnt out bulbs
Alignment
External trans cooler for auto
And anything else I missed.

Then you know you have a 100% reliable 4runner, then you can start modding. I have just recently finished most of the above (minus trans oil, ps fluid, rear and sway bushings due to future mods). It's a ton of work and took me several weekends of working on it myself. That list would be different if I had to pay someone to do the work. But since I'm a auto tech I do everything on my free time.

This is just my .02 cents worth of a opinion, but this is what I do to every used car I buy.

 

[Brian.]

What would the differences be if you had to pay someone to do the work? That's the situation I'm in – need to do a lot of preventative maintenance but don't have the tools or space to do the work myself.

The cost of hiring someone starts to play into what you have done... not what Should be done, just what you're willing to pay someone else to do.

Buying tools is always cheaper than paying someone else. If you were to start buying tools, and not even the bottom drawer type stuff, you would have everything needed after completing all of the work and still not have come close to the cost of hiring out.

Space to do the work can be easy, rent a storage unit that you can access with the vehicle. Check on their terms, some don't allow working on things but a Whole lot of them have nothing at all about it (I did this for decades with my motorcycles, even ran a "business" that way, working on and storing race bikes). If you're in an urban area, there are more and more "hacker spaces" that have a flat spot for working on vehicles. And in ALL areas there are some shops who will let you use their space on the weekends (I've had the best luck with the more run-down looking where they have a lift outside the building ~ sometimes in a dirt lot). Finding space isn't Too difficult, and the overwhelming majority of jobs can be done in a day if you plan ahead.

And then there's a big guns. Ask here. Ask in your state specific forum, see if there's someone near who'll provide space, maybe tools, maybe help, but absolutely another pair of hands to hold this or get that. Back to motorcycles with me, it was one of my many careers, but I did this. People needed help, I'd let them use my space and tools (with supervision) and give help/advice/encouragment for the price of some beer and food. If they wanted to hire me to learn, it was a little more (but I actually had a lot of interest when I lived urban).

 

[4RunnerBank]

Well said.

 

[poorbong]

Thanks so much for all inputs...definitely will start w bushings, fluids, ball joints and brakes...then will go from there

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[BradyBunches]

Maybe some 32in bfg ko2s and, methods, bilstein shocks?

 

[pluton]

One thing I didn't notice in all of the above excellent advice is to check the brake hoses---there are 3 of them. At 20 years, they are likely to be stiff and cracking and therefore due for replacement. Look at them close up with a good light.
Last I checked, about 2 years ago, the OEM Toyota ones are stupidly overpriced in the USA, but can be gotten much more reasonably priced from Amayama or another international dealer.

 

[beklemmung]

[MENTION=315156]Brian.[/MENTION] - I see what you mean. I really don't want to start accumulating tools right now, my apartment is overfull as it is. But I do like the idea of DIY garages that have tools, and I'll make a post over at the SoCal forum soon – would be happy to provide food, beer, and cash for someone with more experience to lend a hand. I'm in the LA area and found this place: Stall Work Station | Your Dream Garage
[MENTION=89081]pluton[/MENTION] - thanks, I'll add that to my list of things to inspect when I do my upcoming work. I see a front and a rear, what is the 3rd? Or do I need more than 1 of those 2?

 

[poorbong]

New belts, spark plugs, radiator, 6112 & 5100 shocks, OME springs, bushings, balljoints, brakes w newer rims and tires. I'm liking it!!!

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[eddielasvegas]

Nicely done and looking good poorbong.

Eddie

 

[poorbong]

Thanks

 

[Works2travel]

I'm in the same boat poorbong. Just starting my 99 build. So far on my list to do, I have all the above mentioned including:
- Air Filter
- Clean the throttle body & mass air flow sensor
- PCV valve
- O2 sensor
- Spark plugs and wires
- Fuel filter
- Deck plate mod
- Rear diff breather MOD

I'm still researching all & pricing everything out, including what I can and can't do myself. Slowly taking care of everything that'll make it run and drive better. Then suspension. Your truck looks great. Good starting point, can't wait to see how it comes along.

 

[poorbong]

Also flipped rear hitch for cleaner look and little more clearance. Gonna start working on the sliders when I have more time

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[poorbong]

Newer wheels

 

[brillo_76]

Your rig is looking good. Your lost on where to start with one. Try to be in my shoes with 5 and then it becomes which one am I working on today...

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